Endometriosis Risk Linked to Two Pesticides

Endometriosis Risk Linked to Two Pesticides

Interstitial cystitis and endometriosis are known as the “evil twins” in medical literature because they so often co-exist in patients. Thus, any story which covers endometriosis is certainly of relevance to the IC community. This press releases shares yet more deeply disturbing information about the impact of toxins in our environment. Previous studies have linked endometriosis to exposure of dioxin, the most toxic chemical made by man. In this new study, two pesticides that have been banned and/or restricted in use in the USA are now implicated in the development of endometriosis.

The question we should all be asking is how toxic chemicals and banned pesticides are showing up in the blood stream of men, women and children. One important source is imported produce from countries that lack adequate pesticide controls. Whenever possible, I urge you to purchase organic produce and, at a minimum, by produce grown in your own country. The USA has an appalling lack of controls and/or safety requirements for new chemicals introduced each year. Last Spring, a new US Chemical Safety law was proposed that would require far more testing and monitoring, particularly for new chemicals introduced each year. Profit should not outweigh safety IMHO. – Jill O.

Newswise — SEATTLE – A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center-led study has found that two organochlorine pesticides are associated with an increased risk of endometriosis, a condition that affects up to 10 percent of reproductive-age women.

Specifically, researchers observed that women with higher exposures to two such pesticides, beta-hexachlorocyclohexane and mirex, had a 30- to 70-percent increase in endometriosis risk. The findings are published online ahead of the print issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, a journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Organochlorine pesticides have generally demonstrated estrogenic properties in laboratory studies of human tissue and adverse reproductive effects in laboratory studies of other model organisms, altering the function of the uterus and ovaries, as well as hormone production.

Endometriosis is a noncancerous condition that occurs when the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus, or womb, grows outside of the organ and attaches to other structures or organs. The condition most often affects the ovaries, fallopian tubes and lining of the pelvic cavity. The most common symptoms include chronic pelvic pain, painful menstrual periods and infertility.

“For many women, the symptoms of endometriosis can be chronic and debilitating, negatively affecting health-related quality of life, personal relationships and work productivity,” said lead and corresponding author Kristen Upson, Ph.D., who was a predoctoral research fellow in epidemiology at Fred Hutch and the University of Washington when the study was conducted. Today she is a postdoctoral fellow at the Epidemiology Branch of the NIEHS. “Since endometriosis is an estrogen-driven condition, we were interested in investigating the role of environmental chemicals that have estrogenic properties, such as organochlorine pesticides, on the risk of the disease,” she said.

The principal investigator of the study was Victoria Holt, Ph.D., a joint member of the Epidemiology Research Unit in the Public Health Sciences Division at Fred Hutch and professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health.

“This research is important, as endometriosis is a serious condition that can adversely affect the quality of a woman’s life, yet we still do not have a clear understanding of why endometriosis develops in some women but not in others,” Holt said. “Our study provides another piece of the puzzle.”

The study was conducted among members of Group Health Cooperative, a Seattle-based nonprofit health care system. The study involved 248 women newly diagnosed with endometriosis and, for comparison, 538 women without the disease.

“We found it interesting that despite organochlorine pesticides being restricted in use or banned in the U.S. for the past several decades, these chemicals were detectable in the blood samples of women in our study and were associated with increased endometriosis risk”

“We found it interesting that despite organochlorine pesticides being restricted in use or banned in the U.S. for the past several decades, these chemicals were detectable in the blood samples of women in our study and were associated with increased endometriosis risk,” Upson said. “The take-home message from our study is that persistent environmental chemicals, even those used in the past, may affect the health of the current generation of reproductive-age women with regard to a hormonally driven disease.”

Organochlorine pesticides have generally demonstrated estrogenic properties in laboratory studies of human tissue and adverse reproductive effects in laboratory studies of other model organisms, altering the function of the uterus and ovaries, as well as hormone production.

“Given these actions, it’s plausible that organochlorine pesticides could increase the risk of an estrogen-driven disease such as endometriosis,” Upson said. “We hope our findings will help inform current global policymaking to reduce or eliminate their use.”

Data for the study was provided by the Women’s Risk of Endometriosis Study, which was funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institute of Nursing Research also provided funds for the research, which involved co-investigator Delia Scholes, Ph.D., a senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute, and scientists at the University of Washington, Seattle Children’s Research Institute and Emory University.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

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My Google Profile+ Jill Heidi Osborne is the president and founder of the Interstitial Cystitis Network, a health education company dedicated to interstitial cystitis, bladder pain syndrome and other pelvic pain disorders.
As the editor and lead author of the ICN and the IC Optimist magazine, Jill is proud of the academic recognition that her website has achieved. The University of London rated the ICN as the top IC website for accuracy, credibility, readability and quality. (Int Urogynecol J - April 2013). Harvard Medical School rated both Medscape and the ICN as the top two websites dedicated to IC. (Urology - Sept 11). Jill currently serves on the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Panel (US Army) where she collaborates with researchers to evaluate new IC research studies for possible funding. Jill has conducted and/or collaborates on a variety of IC research studies on new therapeutics, pain care, sexuality, the use of medical marijuana, menopause and the cost of treatments, shining a light on issues that influence patient quality of life.
An IC support group leader and national spokesperson for the past 20 years, she has represented the IC community on radio, TV shows, at medical conferences. She has written hundreds of articles on IC and its related conditions.
With a Bachelors Degree in Pharmacology and a Masters in Psychology, Jill was named Presidential Management Intern (aka Fellowship) while in graduate school. (She was unable to earn her PhD due to the onset of her IC.) She spends the majority of her time providing WELLNESS COACHING for patients in need and developing new, internet based educational and support tools for IC patients, including the “Living with IC” video series currently on YouTube and the ICN Food List smartphone app! Jill was diagnosed with IC at the age of 32 but first showed symptoms at the age of 12.

Interstitial Cystitis Network

The ICN is a health education company dedicated to IC and chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Rated the top patient website dedicated to IC in peer reviewed studies by Harvard (2011) and the Univ. of London (2013), our goal is to empower, educate and encourage patients and providers!